The Way
by Ariana Deralte
Summary: Hatake Kakashi never realized there would be so many obstacles on his way to graduating and becoming a ninja. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

It was the tradition of the Hatake clan to allow its members to wear masks upon graduating the Academy. Kakashi was looking forward to this for a number of reasons. For one, his father always wore a mask, and he wanted to be more like his father. Secondly, his sense of smell was above average, and a mask might prevent him from doing stupid things like fainting when he smelled raw sewage. Third, people might start treating him differently, and not as a five-year old freak.

He didn't have much hope for the last one.

The graduation exam was today. Kakashi was sure he would pass, even if it had taken the intervention of his father and the Hokage to make sure they'd even let him take the exam. With the war, the graduation age had been lowered to ten, but that still made all of Kakashi's classmates twice his age. Kakashi's father had told him that his Academy teacher, Kuma, had vehemently opposed allowing Kakashi to take the exam. A fact which confused Kakashi, since no one knew better than his sensei just how good the five-year old was.

Kakashi frowned. Even his father didn't know, despite his support for Kakashi taking the exam. Just that night, his father had told him to make an effort to be friends with others at the Academy so that when they were on missions together, they'd be able to work better as a team. What Kakashi didn't understand was how he was supposed to become friends with anyone in the single day he would be remaining at the Academy.

Not that it made a difference anyway. His classmates may as well have been adults for all he understood them, and he had no idea how to go about this friendship business. Ninja techniques, jutsus, chakra – those he understood, but people made no sense when they weren't fighting him. He could predict where they would be attacking him by where his classmate's looked, but he didn't know what it meant when they smiled for no reason, or cried over little things like a broken nose.

It would be difficult to try to make friends today, since he was already nervous about the exam. But Kakashi wanted to please his father, and liked to treat his orders as an official mission. If Kakashi could report that he had graduated the Academy _and_ made a friend today, maybe his father would pay more attention to him.

These thoughts occupied him until he arrived at his classroom. He was always the first one to arrive, though Kuma-sensei was also there, no matter how early Kakashi came. Kuma-sensei looked up when he came in, and he could feel the man's green eyes on him as Kakashi went to his usual seat near the front. He could hear the swish of the numerous tiny braids in his sensei's hair, so it wasn't much of a surprise to look up from setting out his books to see his sensei standing in front of him.

"You're taking the exam today, Kakashi-kun?"

"Yes."

"I don't think you're ready," said Kuma bluntly. He looked away when he said it. "Oh, physically you are, but-"

Kenchi and Kai, the Hamato twins, burst through the door, fighting as usual. They broke it up quickly, with Kenchi giving a cheerful greeting to his sensei and taking his seat next to Kakashi, while Kai quietly slipped to his seat at the back of the room.

Whatever, Kuma-sensei had been about to say, he had decided against it now. Kakashi leant back as the man tried to ruffle his short hair, and glared. His sensei had helped him a lot during this past year, but he wasn't about to forget that by trying to prevent him from graduating, Kuma-sensei was the enemy. He missed how his reaction seemed to strengthen the resolve in his sensei's eyes.

"Hey, chibi," said Kenchi beside him, and Kakashi transferred his glare to him. "Don't glare at me like that. You are small." They did this every morning, followed by Kakashi either ignoring the other boy, or reluctantly helping Kenchi with his homework. You would think that it would hurt a ten-year old's pride to get help from the baby of the class, but Kenchi was nothing if not an opportunist.

"What?" Kakashi said flatly.

"Ready for the exam?"

"Yes." And that was all he intended to say, until he remembered his father's mission to make friends. He struggled for a long moment to make conversation. "Are you?"

"Hmm?" Kenchi was fiddling with the bandages around his forearms.

"Are you ready for the exam?"

"Of course! I'll be a ninja before the day is out!"

Kakashi wasn't so sure. Kenchi's taijutsu was weak compared to the other boys, and you had to succeed in all the three traditional areas, taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu in order to pass. What would a friend say now? "You need to watch your taijutsu," he said finally.

"Yeah, yeah. You sound like Kai. I'll be fine." The brown-haired boy scowled, but then suddenly grinned at him. "Hey! You never speak this much. I bet you're nervous!"

Kakashi didn't even dignify that comment with a reply. His instincts warned him just in time to duck as a giant backpack was swept through the space where his head would have been.

"Sorry, Kakashi-chan. I didn't see you," said Suzame, her voice dripping with false innocence. She headed to her seat, not even bothering to hide her amused smirk. When he first came to the Academy, it had been the boys who bullied him. That had stopped quickly enough after he had fought and beaten the worst of them. Now, he was either ignored unless his skills were needed, or treated like some kind of mascot or at best, a little brother. But there was a group of girls led by Suzame who were always bothering him.

Girls, Kakashi had discovered, were a lot better at harassment than boys were. They seemed to know what to do and say instinctively to create the most embarrassment. When he challenged them to fights in order to settle the problem, they always refused on the grounds that he had an unfair advantage. Add to that that Kuma-sensei had a blind spot when it came to girls, and Kakashi was well and truly screwed.

He had consoled himself that the bullying was helping to hone his ninja skills. He became preternaturally good at avoiding being tripped, mysteriously hit by off target kunai, and collapsing chairs. He learned to always hand things in himself so they weren't tampered with. After the hair bow incident, he cut his hair short enough so that nothing could be tied in it without his knowing. Slowly, he was learning to control his reactions no matter what people said about him.

Kakashi was smart enough to notice that the more malicious attacks always occurred after he had aced another exam, or done better than everyone in a practical demonstration. Today's attack for instance, was probably trying to get him off balance before the exam, or maybe Suzame was nervous. Not for the first time, Kakashi wondered if there was some better way to deal with the girls' bullying, and was surprised at how relieved he was to realize that this was the last day he'd have to deal with them. He had spent so long convincing himself that their attacks didn't bother him, he had nearly forgotten how much they really did.

The rest of the class arrived, and Kuma-sensei took attendance before telling them their schedule.

"You'll be tested on ninjutsu and genjutsu this morning, then after lunch is taijutsu. Plan accordingly. If you've been training, you should have nothing to worry about. Any questions? No? Follow me."

They all followed him dutifully out into the hallway, quieter than normal due to nerves. Kuma-sensei led them to one of the indoor training rooms. Walking across the room, he pushed open a door on the far wall that opened into one of the lesser used training fields. It was filled with trees and bushes so it was only used for training in ninjutsu and ambushes.

"I'll be testing your trapping skills today. Each of you will be allowed three minutes to place a trap somewhere on the field. You'll be graded on placement, invisibility, difficulty, and most importantly, whether or not your trap is triggered. Traps can be triggered at any time, so the further you are down the line, the more careful you'll have to be while setting your own trap. Once all the traps have been set, the whole class will have to explore the field which will give everyone at least some chance of having their trap triggered."

"But, Sensei," complained a blue-haired girl called Inoue, "that means that the people at the end of the line have less chance of having their traps triggered, and have to be more alert."

Kuma-sensei shrugged. "You're not going to have ideal situations in the real world." His expression softened. "But just for you, Inoue-chan, we can choose the names randomly. That's as fair as I can make it." Inoue didn't look reassured, but Kuma-sensei simply ripped up their attendance list and placed all the names in a newly emptied pouch he took from his belt. It all looked casual, and no one protested when the first name was called.

It was over a half hour later, when his name still hadn't been called, that Kakashi realized there had been no reason for their sensei to be carrying the attendance list in the first place.

* * *

A/N: scratches head When I decided to write a pre-Kakashi Gaiden story, I didn't really mean to set it this early. Part of me thinks I'm writing Kakashi too old for a five-year old, but considering what he accomplished at that age, I don't think it's too unreasonable either. I'd welcome opinions either way. This story appears to be writing itself, so I should be able to update fairly quickly. It looks like it'll be 3-4 chapters at this point. I'm posting this unbetaed (mostly cause I couldn't find a friend to rope into betaing this time around) so please feel free to point out any grammar problems that are annoying you in a review if you like, and I'll get around to fixing them. Reviews and opinions are appreciated:) 


	2. Chapter 2

One by one, the students slipped through the door, closing it behind them. A few got caught in traps. Kuma-sensei rescued them as soon as the three minutes were up, but if they hadn't managed to set a trap by then, they failed. Those who came back in the room sat down and didn't talk. There was no advantage in telling your friends where your own traps were. 

Kakashi wished he'd brought a scroll or book to read since every second that passed and his name wasn't called, was another confirmation of what he had realized half an hour before – Kuma was setting him up to fail. Even if Kakashi's name had been the first to be picked, Kuma was going to call it last. As the last person out the door, he'd have to deal with every other person's traps, as well as setting his own. All the best spots would be taken, so he would either be forced to disable someone else's trap (and face their wrath afterwards) or place his in an unfavourable position.

Even worse, he was so angry at his sensei for his betrayal, he couldn't focus on thinking around the problem. Part of him wanted to throw a giant tantrum, and only the thought that there would be no better way of confirming he wasn't ready to graduate stopped him. Instead, he focused on his sensei. Every time his name wasn't called, his glare became a little colder. He liked to imagine that Kuma was sweating a little under the pressure, but there was no way of telling since Kuma was as calm as always, even if he was deliberately never looking in Kakashi's direction.

It was Ararae, one of Suzame's friends, who saved him. She was third to last and tried to kick his shin as she passed him. Kakashi dodged, and shifted his glare to her. Her startled squeak, and the way she practically ran to the other side of the room pierced through his anger. He took a deep breath. Had he really been glaring at Kuma-sensei for nearly an hour? Chagrined, he turned to study the wall, and considered what he knew of trap setting. There had to be a way around his problem. Some advantage he was missing. Someone always had to be last after all.

Kakashi watched the boy who had gone before him walk into the room and knew he had his answer. Too excited to wait, he ignored his sensei calling his name, and ran over to the door, slipping out and closing it firmly behind him. A quick survey of the training field revealed no one had been intelligent enough to try his idea. He grinned. As the last person, he could lay a trap that was sure to be triggered. He set to work.

He slipped carefully back into the room, just before the three minute mark. "I'm finished, sensei." Kuma nodded his understanding, his per functionary smile dying under the force of his youngest student's anger.

"Everyone out on the field!" Kuma led the way, which is why he was the only one caught in the fine mesh net that had been carefully hidden in the dust right outside the door. Kakashi had used the roof and a nearby log as a counter weight, so their sensei was slammed into the side of the school once before he fell in a tangle of netting and curse words. Kuma was out in seconds, and there was only a slight flush to his cheeks to indicate how embarrassed he was for falling for one of his student's traps.

"Whose was that?" he asked over the stifled giggling.

"Mine, sensei," said Kakashi. He took his words right from their textbook. "Whenever possible, a trap should be placed on the most frequently traveled path, or road in order to assure maximum efficiency. As the last person, the way was clear for me to set a trap in front of the door, where I was sure to catch at least one person. I did expect you to step over the trap, sensei," he finished innocently.

Kuma looked at him suspiciously, but was forced to continue the exam. Everyone wandered the field, under strict orders to spread out and be alert. A number of traps were triggered anyway, showing the skill of this particular class. Afterwards, Kuma-sensei walked around, identifying traps with their owners. Anyone with sloppy or obvious traps was failed, but everyone else passed. Those who had had their traps triggered were graded higher. They were informed that the grades would be used to form their ranking within the class.

Kakashi had taken a seat underneath one of the trees during the final grading, and was deep in thought. Kuma was unlikely to give up on making sure Kakashi didn't pass, but the boy couldn't think of any way for their sensei to sabotage the genjutsu part of the exam. Kakashi could perform all the basic genjutsu flawlessly, and he even knew one or two more advanced genjutsu if he were asked. The taijutsu was more of a problem. Kakashi trained his body as well as he could, but only time would give him the reach and strength he needed to be an expert. There were several boys and even a few girls in the class who could beat him if he had to fight them with only taijutsu, and Kuma was sure to pair him with one of them. Kakashi glanced around at the others in his class as they headed back to their classroom, considering strategies for defeating each one individually with taijutsu, so that he would be prepared no matter who Kuma made him fight.

"Oh, Kuma-sensei! No one knew which training field you were using!" called out Nuriko-sensei in her overly loud voice. It probably helped her when she was trying to teach the eight-year olds in her beginner's class, but Kakashi always found himself backing slowly away from the violet-haired kunoichi in order to protect his ear drums. This time, he flattened himself against the nearby wall along with the rest of his class, and watched Kuma wince at the other sensei's voice. Kuma turned towards the other teacher.

"Hello, Nuriko-sensei. I was wondering if I would have to go looking for you," said Kuma calmly.

"I thought I'd save you the trouble! Besides, the children are anxious for their demonstration."

"I'm sure Kakashi-kun won't disappoint them."

Kakashi started, looking back and forth between both teachers.

Kuma turned to him. "I've lent you to Nuriko-sensei's class for awhile today. She wants to give them a preview of what they'll be learning next year, and she thought they might respond better to someone closer to their own age." He seemed immune to Kakashi's glare, while Nuriko was oblivious.

"What about the exam, sensei?" Kakashi said through clenched teeth.

"Nuriko-sensei will let you go a few minutes before lunch and you can do the test then. I wouldn't have recommended you to help her if I weren't certain of your skills."

With Kuma being so reasonable and complimentary, there was no way for Kakashi to refuse. He had underestimated his sensei's ability to sabotage everything, and now he was paying the price.

"Come along, Kakashi-kun!"

Kakashi followed her. "What will I be doing, Nuriko-sensei?"

"Oh! I should explain! We'll be going through all the basic genjutsu! Just perform whichever genjutsu I tell you to and do it slowly so the other children can get a good look."

"I'm already going to have to do that for my exam today," pointed out Kakashi, trying to sound reasonable. "This demonstration will use up a lot of my chakra."

She made a dismissive noise. "You'll have enough for your exam. Don't worry!" She went to pat his head, and he expertly dodged. He didn't know why adults always wanted to do that, but by now, he was very good at avoiding the attention when he wanted to.

Walking back to his classroom an hour later, Kakashi knew he had been right about his chakra. He was exhausted. Not only had he had to demonstrate henge and bunshin, but Nuriko-sensei had insisted he hold them while she explained the principles behind them in detail. Demonstrating kawarimi no jutsu had been easier since he simply body switched with one of her students, and pretended he was listening while the student he'd chosen squirmed in embarrassment at the front of the class. Kakashi had had to remind Nuriko-sensei to let him go, and now he was simply hoping he had enough chakra to do whatever Kuma insisted on.

When he stepped through the door, he felt a moment of dizziness, but shrugged it off. He could rest at lunch. Kuma-sensei was behind his desk, but there was no one else in the room.

"I sent everyone off to lunch since you're a bit late. I hope you don't mind," said Kuma. His face revealed nothing of his intentions, though he had to have noticed how tired Kakashi was.

"No, I don't," said Kakashi, even though he did. He suspected some other trick.

"All right. Let's see you henge into me first."

Kakashi nodded, forming the sign of the ram, focusing his chakra as he had been taught. He had a clear picture of Kuma in his mind, and he opened his eyes, expecting to see his sensei's chuunin uniform when he looked down at himself. Instead, there was his usual dark blue clothing. He broke into a cold sweat. Was it possible to be that low on chakra without passing out?

"Try again," said Kuma, and Kakashi wanted to scream at the sympathy he heard in the man's voice. This was all his sensei's fault!

Once again he went through the motions, his lips pressed together in concentration. There was definitely energy there. "Henge no jutsu!" He looked down at himself. Nothing.

Kuma took a few steps towards him, both sympathy and triumph in his face, and Kakashi realized what had been bothering him. Before his sensei could stop him, he brought one hand in front of him, and all but shouted, "Kai!"

* * *

A/N: The wait for the next chapter will probably be a bit longer seeing as I skipped ahead and wrote the fourth chapter before the third chapter. Oops;) Thanks for the reviews!  



	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi was breathing heavily, and he immediately dropped the perfect henge he'd been holding while caught in his teacher's genjutsu. Dispelling it had used up the last of his reserves, and he swayed a little where he stood. Genjutsu depended on the victim's chakra so he should have realized that the dizziness when he entered the room was actually his teacher casting a genjutsu, even if that actually wasn't what had tipped him off. 

"You're braids swish when you walk, sensei," he said proudly. Kuma's face had gone blank again. At another time, Kakashi might have admired the man's ability to mask his emotions when ever he needed to.

"I'll remember that for next time. You're spent, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi shook his head stubbornly. "Not yet."

"Have it your way. Taijutsu is after lunch. Get out of here." He wasn't able to hide the frustration in his voice.

Kakashi concentrated on keeping his legs from trembling as he walked out, barely remembering to grab his bento before he did. Everyone would be outside eating and playing. He usually ate alone since he felt uncomfortable joining any of the groups the class always broke into, but today he would have to attempt it. There was something he needed if he was going to survive the afternoon. He grinned faintly when he realized that joining the groups would also count towards his father's order to make friends.

He was scanning the groups, looking for the person he wanted, when one of the girls called out to him.

"Hey! Kakashi-chan! You survived. We were worried." Taki was a tall, dark-haired girl with excellent grades. Kakashi had wondered why the way she and her friends treated him annoyed him almost as much as Suzume's bullying, when he finally realized that she tended to treat him a lot like his father treated his dogs. If he did something good they patted him on the head, or gave him treats, and they babied him whenever possible. He often overheard them talking about how adorable he was.

"Why were you worried?" he asked.

"Kuma-sensei was choosing random students and putting them under a genjutsu in addition to the usual test. He got a few of us." She gestured to the other side of the field where those who had already failed were commiserating. "Be careful around, Ichimaru. He's pissed because the genjutsu almost got him." Kakashi glanced over at the brawny boy, who was resolutely throwing his kunai at a tree over and over again.

"Okay."

"Come join us," she offered, and Kakashi followed her back to her group, wanting to eat his lunch as quickly as possible. "So," Taki said as she played with the end of her long braid, "did he get you?"

"No. I dispelled the genjutsu before he could fail me." There was no point in mentioning how close to exhaustion he was.

It was like they all let out a breath they had been holding.

"That's just like you, Kakashi-chan!"

"Have a cookie, Kakashi-chan."

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I've got chocolate if you want it. Please take some."

They always tried to feed him. He didn't like sweets all that much so he usually refused, but today he took whatever they were offering, knowing the sugar might give him some of the extra energy he needed. He devoured the bento and sweets quickly.

"Do you know where Kai is?" he asked.

"We never know where Kai is," said Taki dismissively before going back to her conversation about the latest gossip.

Kakashi quietly slipped away. No one could find Hamato Kai if he didn't want them to, but his twin, Kenchi, just might know where he was. He found the boy begging food off of one of the girls, claiming he had forgotten his lunch. Kakashi assumed he'd already eaten his and was now trying to get more. It was just the way Kenchi was.

"Kenchi," he said, once the boy had flopped down next to his friends, newly obtained sandwich in hand.

"Hey, chibi. You all right?"

It was too much. "Does everyone think I'm going to fail?"

"What do I care? I was only asking because you look like you're about to fall over."

"Oh." He really wasn't good at this friendship thing. "Do you know where Kai is?"

"Yes, but why should I tell you?"

It took Kakashi a moment to think of a reason. "So I won't tell Kuma-sensei who split the blackboard in half last month."

Kenchi gaped at him. "You weren't even in the room!"

Kakashi shrugged. There were other ways of getting information, and he wasn't going to mention that Kuma likely didn't care who had broken the board at this point.

"Fine." Kenchi grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "See the third tree from the left? That's his favorite tree. If he wants to talk to you, he'll come out when you call him." He gave Kakashi a rough push in that direction, almost causing him to fall. Kakashi didn't bother to thank the other boy.

When he reached the tree, he walked around to the other side, and sat down against one of the roots. It felt good to be sitting, even if he wasn't sure he'd be able to get up again. "Kai-san? Can I talk to you?" he asked the air.

Kai wasn't the best student in the class. In fact, he was about average in everything except for one small thing. If Kai didn't want to be found, he never was. Not even by their teachers. His stealth capabilities were above a chuunin's, if not higher.

Kakashi had a lot of respect for the other boy, even if they'd never talked to each other before, and he knew something about Kai that most didn't. He smiled a little when Kai appeared before him without a sound. The other boy was short with a stub-nose. He had numerous pouches tied bandolier style across his chest and waist, and wore a particular shade of brown that blended in distractingly with the trees behind him.

"You're good," said Kakashi, belatedly remembering to make conversation. Kai shrugged off the compliment, and sat down next to Kakashi. When he wasn't fighting with his brother, Kai was nearly as quiet as Kakashi. Kakashi wondered if maybe Kai didn't know how to talk to people either.

"I need a favor."

"What is it?"

"A soldier pill, if you have one." Kakashi yawned and resisted the urge to close his eyes. There could be no falling asleep.

"What makes you think I have one?"

"A good shinobi is always prepared," said Kakashi solemnly, then continued on in an excited tone. "You have everything in your pouches! Kenchi mentioned it one day, and he's right, though I still don't know why you carry around a frog."

Kai shrugged. "It's good for kawarimi no jutsu, and sound camouflage since I've trained him to croak. But mostly I carry him around to freak out our older sister." He shared a grin with Kakashi. Their amusement was broken by Kakashi yawning again.

"I'll pay you back for it," said Kakashi, now that he was certain the other boy had one.

Kai snorted. "I'm not my brother. You can have it for free."

"Really?"

"Mmm." Kai reached into one of the pouches at his chest, and pulled out a small container, inside which were a few pills. Kai hesitated. "They're meant for adults."

"I need to pass today." Kakashi readied the last of his energy to grab the pills, but Kai abruptly grabbed his hand and placed a pill in it. Kakashi took it with some water from the flask he carried. It would be a few minutes before it had any effect.

They sat in silence. Kakashi hadn't forgotten his father's order to make friends, but he couldn't think of anything to say. It was a bit of surprise when Kai spoke first.

"Kuma-sensei's not as calm today."

"He's trying to fail me," admitted Kakashi. It sounded even worse when he said it out loud.

"Mmm."

It wasn't much of a response, but Kakashi felt like the other boy was actually listening. "He's going to pair me with the best fighters. Probably Ichimaru, or Bunta-kun."

"Or Aki-san."

Kakashi thought of the tough, older girl, and nodded.

"I guess we won't be fighting each other then," said Kai.

"No. Not unless Kuma has another plan."

"Mmm."

Kakashi could feel his energy coming back. He held his hand in front of his face, and was pleased to see he could hold it there without trembling. "I'm too small," he said, thinking out loud, "but that means I'm harder to reach. And I'm fast."

Kai chuckled. "You also fight dirty."

"What?"

"You do. Your average fighter instinctively focuses on a few target areas – head, chest, and stuff. You aim everywhere and don't care where you hit so long as it causes pain. You broke Hima's kneecap your first week."

"He wasn't guarding his knee," said Kakashi, a bit petulantly.

"Mmm."

Kakashi decided to stand up. His legs supported him with no trouble. In fact, he felt as if he'd just woken from the deepest sleep of his life and was now ready for anything. He threw a test punch at the air, and nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for the pill, Kai-san."

"Mmm."

Lunch was almost over. Kakashi was going to leave, but then he paused, building up his courage. Kai was still sitting against the tree, staring at the ground.

"Do you want to be friends?" Kakashi asked. Kai met his eyes in surprise, but at least looked like he was considering the offer.

"I don't think I'll make a very good friend," said Kai slowly after a moment. "I hide too much." It was a warning.

"I don't know how to be a friend," confessed Kakashi, "so I wouldn't know if you were doing a good job or not."

"Hmm. Okay. We're friends then." He leapt back into the tree, disappearing immediately, leaving a bewildered Kakashi.

"Good luck with your exam, Kai-san," he finally said, then turned to go.

"You too!" called the other from somewhere above him, and Kakashi grinned. Mission accomplished.

* * *

A/N: Taijutsu next! I love writing fight scenes.  



	4. Chapter 4

It was with a certain reluctance that everyone filed into the classroom after lunch. Most of them were nervous about the last part of the exam. Kakashi had been nervous, but now he was excited. The energy coursing through him from the soldier pill was making it really difficult to sit still. 

"Sensei! I think Kakashi-chan needs to go to the bathroom," called out Suzume from behind him.

Kakashi froze, hands gripping the side of his seat. He could hear a few snickers.

"What was that, Suzume-san?" asked Kuma, looking up from the papers on his desk. Kakashi slowly relaxed.

"I asked you what the exam would be like, sensei," said Suzume.

"Well," he looked around, "everyone here?" There were a few nods, and a chorus of "Yes, sensei."

"Let's go outside then."

They went back out where they had been eating lunch. Kuma-sensei led them all to the center of the field, then had the class sit down to one side. "The rules are simple. You will fight two fights. You must win or draw in at least one of them to pass. I'm putting a time limit of five minutes on the fight so finish it quickly. Subdue your opponent, but try not to hurt each other too much. I'll decide who wins if it's not obvious. Those of you who have already failed, I expect you to watch and learn."

"How do we know who we're fighting?" asked Taki.

"I thought that to be fair, I'd allow you guys to choose your first opponent, and I'd pair you up for your second one. How's that?"

Everyone was relieved, including Kakashi. All he had to do was find someone weaker than him. If they were smart, all the stronger fighters would be doing the same, that way they were guaranteed to pass no matter who they fought the second time around.

"Pair up!" As if this was some sort of signal, every single person who had been sitting near Kakashi disappeared. He was startled when he felt a malicious presence behind him. He turned and saw Aki-san. Her black eyes glittered a little as she stared at him.

"You're fighting me," she said.

There was no way he was fighting her. She was one of the best fighters in the class. "I already have an opponent," he said.

"No, you don't. You don't talk to anybody."

"This time, I did," Kakashi insisted, trying to look around the larger girl so he could find another partner. He had to get away before everyone else paired up. "You don't want to fight me anyway. I'm not weak."

"I know. That's why I want to fight you."

Kakashi tried to dart away, but she grabbed his wrist.

"Who's your opponent then?" she asked politely, as if she weren't trying to break his wrist.

"Kai-san!" His new friend was going to kill him, but Kai's was the first name that came to his mind.

"Kai, who is standing next to his brother, looking annoyed?"

"Inoue, then."

"Already cornered by Ichimaru." She sounded bored.

Aki swung him around, and he could see that everyone was already paired off.

"I don't want to fight you, Aki-san. Would you mind switching?"

"No. I told you, _I want to fight you_. Besides, I made sure no one else would be your partner, even if you asked."

"Did sensei suggest this?" he asked suspiciously.

She looked surprised. "No."

"Then why?"

"I've beaten all the best fighters in this class. I'm hoping that as a genius, you might provide me with a challenge."

Kakashi's eyes widened. He had known that Aki-san was the best female fighter in their class, but he hadn't realized she was the _best_ fighter. She must have fought them outside the Academy.

"I'll fight you later." It was his last attempt.

"Too late," she said, and there was an absurd cheerfulness to her tone.

"You two sure paired up quickly," said Kuma-sensei from behind them. Kakashi turned, already glaring. The look on Kuma's face very clearly said, 'Don't look at me. You had your chance.'

"I told you I wanted to fight him," said Aki-san.

"You certainly were thorough in making everyone else stay away," said Kuma dryly. "You two will fight second. Have a seat until then." He moved off to record the rest of the pairs.

Aki-san was still holding his wrist, and she used it to tug him to the ground. Kakashi pouted while he sat there, though his mind was racing as he tried to recall every single time he had seen Aki fight. She was a year older than most of their class because she had failed the exam the year before. The failure seemed to have goaded her into improving her skills, especially her taijutsu. She had a fierce fighting spirit, combined with unusual upper arm strength. Kakashi had only seen her kick her opponents once or twice, so he assumed her legs weren't as strong. He would have to target her legs, while staying out of reach of her arms – a hard thing to do when your opponent had two feet on you.

The first fight began, but Kakashi wasn't watching as he went through different scenarios.

"Aki-san, and Kakashi-kun!"

She was tugging him up again. As if he was going to run away at this point. Her air of patient contentment had disappeared as soon as their names were called. All he could sense was a fierce will to win. His new found energy and planned scenarios wouldn't be enough. She was the best fighter in the class, and he couldn't use his usual ninjutsu and genjutsu tricks.

"You going to forfeit?" she asked in a low, dangerous voice, as they took their places across from each other. She must have sensed his mood change.

Kakashi considered it. If she was the best fighter, then whoever he had to fight next would be less skilled. He would have a much better chance of winning. Of course, it would be his only chance of winning. If he fought her, he was giving himself two chances to win. He tried not to shudder under her angry gaze. Providing she didn't kill him.

Slowly, he shook his head no.

"You two can start now," called out Kuma-sensei.

She was running at him, fist pulled back to punch him in the face. He dropped his weight, feeling the punch ruffle his hair. He took the opportunity to kick her in the side, but she barely reacted, despite the force he had put into it. Another punch came at him, this time aimed lower. She was a quick learner.

He threw himself backwards, knowing it would look like he had slipped, when really, his palms hit the ground and he used the impact to kick up at the Aki's arm. She pulled back in pain, which gave him the time to stand up again.

Aki began circling, and he did the same. He wanted to attack, but it was safer to wait for her to move. People left themselves open when they attacked. There was no reason he couldn't encourage her though. He stopped circling, and lowered his arms, sure that she would see the opening. She came flying at him, and this time he stepped past the punch, turning his body sideways so that he was completely inside her guard. He slammed the side of his foot into her left shin, using his weight to stomp down. Aki gasped in pain, but didn't let it stop her. Before he could get out of her range, she punched him square in the joint of his right shoulder. He went flying backwards, teeth clenched against the pain.

Kakashi could clearly remember his first fight when he was three-years old. He had been engaged in his favorite pastime at that age – stalking the old, fat cat that lived under the Hatake house. He had cornered her in the bathroom, reasoning that the small size of the room meant he might actually catch her. She was an outside cat though, and hated being restrained. Rather than cower in the corner, she had leapt at him, her claws catching his hand and leaving two stinging streaks of red. Kakashi had been standing there, staring at the scratches, when his father had spoken from behind him.

"Why did you stop?"

Kakashi had held out his injured hand. He hadn't spoken much at that age.

"A ninja can't afford to stop fighting every time they're hurt. You might have caught her if you hadn't stopped. Unless the pain is overwhelming, you never stop fighting. Understand?"

Kakashi had nodded. His father had helped him bandage his first battle wound, and Kakashi had never forgotten the lesson.

This was why, even though his shoulder was still a mass of pain, Kakashi didn't stop after being thrown backwards. He jumped to the side and ran to the other side of the designated fighting area. Aki was favoring her leg slightly, but if he hadn't moved, she would have caught him.

The look in Aki's eyes was intense as she approached, still limping. "That was good," she called out. "But you won't get that close to me again!"

"I don't need to!" It was an automatic response since if he couldn't get close; there was no way he could win. It was time to change plans.

He ran at her this time, throwing a number of punches and kicks one after another, all aiming for any opening he could see. He had no time to think of his aching shoulder. She blocked well, sweeping her arms in a graceful arc that stopped any of his major attacks. Kakashi let her catch the final punch, using his momentum to slip around her to her back, where he'd been aiming for all along. She let go of his fist in surprise, and he kicked as hard as he could into the soft part behind her knee.

She crumpled, but managed to throw back an elbow in the process, smacking him right in the gut. Before he could recover, she jumped him. They both fell to the ground, struggling. With her strength and size, she had the advantage, and soon she had an arm around his throat, choking him as she knelt on one of his arms, which was braced in a painful, bent position.

"Aki-san wins!" declared Kuma. She let Kakashi go abruptly. He nearly gave in to the urge to stay on the ground and recover, but he didn't want to seem weak, so he pushed himself up.

"We'll fight again in a few years," said Aki. Kakashi shrugged and headed for the sidelines. That was too far ahead for any ninja to plan, especially since they were at war.

* * *

A/N: I gave up and split this chapter in half since it was getting too long. How am I doing with the fight scenes? I do believe you have bite the hand that feeds to blame for the cat interlude in this chapter...  



	5. Chapter 5

Sighing, he settled himself next to Kai and Kenchi. He was disappointed that he had lost, but it wasn't all that surprising. He just couldn't afford to lose the next one. With that in mind, he began rotating his arm, testing out how painful his shoulder was and if it still worked. It was sore, but he didn't think there was any permanent damage. 

"Need some salve?" asked Kai quietly, his eyes on the next fight.

"I don't think so." Kakashi appreciated the offer.

"Ichimaru next, I think," said Kai, musing out loud.

"You're fighting Ichimaru?" asked Kenchi.

"Kakashi will be."

"You can't know that!" said Kenchi.

"I do."

Kakashi tuned them out as they began to argue again. He was still full of energy thanks to the soldier pill, so it was an effort to sit still and watch the remaining fights. He had fought Ichimaru before, so he already knew the older boy's weaknesses. For a ten-year old, he had a lot of muscle and the extra bulk made his reactions slow. Ichimaru also wasn't very clever in his fights. He stuck to the basics, and rarely improvised. The only reason he was the best fighter in the class was because he was very good at those basics and had the strength to back up his straightforward tactics.

The fights passed quickly due to the time limit. Kai won his fight with Kenchi, while Ichimaru slaughtered his weaker opponent, Inoue. She was lucky to walk away with a bloody nose and a few bruises. Taki won her fight, and Kakashi couldn't help some malicious satisfaction when Suzume lost hers.

Kakashi kept moving his arm to make sure his shoulder didn't stiffen up, and waited impatiently for his name to be called again. The second rounds started, and everyone watched intently, knowing this would be the final chance for many of the participants. Kenchi fought one of the girls and won. Suzume won against Hima with a vicious left hook that knocked him out cold. Kai lost to Bunta-kun after only a token effort on his part. Kakashi was beginning to suspect that Kuma was going to make him wait until last again, when his name was finally called along with Ichimaru's. There was a rush of whispering as the class realized Kakashi was going up against another brilliant fighter.

Ichimaru looked disgruntled when Kakashi approached. Their fights before had had varying outcomes, though none had been just taijutsu fights. Ichimaru was probably trying to decide how much of a challenge Kakashi would be.

"Begin!"

Ichimaru dropped into a basic stance, while Kakashi stood there. He was ready, but he didn't want Ichimaru to get any information from his posture. If he was going to win this fight, he needed to avoid being overwhelmed, and he needed to control the fight itself.

With that in mind, he waited patiently for Ichimaru to throw the punches he obviously wanted to throw. When they finally came, he danced backwards, timing it so the punches came within inches of his face each time, goading the other boy to keep trying. Once both of them had gotten into a rhythm, Kakashi abruptly broke it. He ducked under the final punch, which brought him close enough to hook his heel against the other boy's heel. Ichimaru was still stepping forward, so Kakashi's foot pulling against his meant that his weight was coming down on a foot that was no longer flat against the ground. He slipped, landing in a painful looking split.

Kakashi was behind him in a second, bringing one arm around the other boy's neck while using the other to put more pressure on his arm. Even a five-year old could strangle somebody if they were in the right position.

That should have been it. Kuma-sensei should have called out that Kakashi was the winner. Time passed, and nothing happened. Kakashi applied as much pressure as he could, but he was only managing to restrain Ichimaru who had started struggling as much as possible. Finally, the other boy simply pulled back and punched Kakashi in the face. The blow didn't have much force because of their positioning, but it was enough to make Kakashi let go.

They broke apart, each panting heavily. Ichimaru's face was red from the near strangling. Kakashi spared a glance for Kuma, who was standing patiently to one side. At the moment, he hated the man. There was no time for anything now though. He would have to defeat Ichimaru in such a way that Kuma couldn't cheat.

His attention went back to the other boy. Ichimaru was angry. The older boy had a tendency to lose his cool whenever he was close to losing. This could also work to Kakashi's advantage.

Kakashi deliberately relaxed, allowing his arms to hang loosely at his sides. "Are you going to attack yet?" he asked.

"I'll attack when I'm ready," said Ichimaru, his face turning red from anger this time. He had more self-control than Kakashi remembered.

"We are running out of time," Kakashi politely pointed out. The other boy didn't move. "You could forfeit to me if you're worried," Kakashi taunted.

Ichimaru was a blur, but that was okay because Kakashi was already moving. He side-stepped a kick, and blocked a right punch. When a left punch came, he slipped past it, crouching low so that Ichimaru's fist and arm were blocking Kakashi from his view. It was one of the few advantages to being small. When Ichimaru began to pull back in confusion, Kakashi braced himself against the ground, then punched up into Ichimaru's chin with all the strength he could gather. Ichimaru's head snapped back, and he fell backwards. Kakashi didn't even have to think before he took the opening in front of him and slammed his knee into Ichimaru's crotch.

Watching Ichimaru curl up on the ground in pain, Kakashi reflected that Kai might have been right when he said Kakashi fought dirty. He turned towards Kuma, and saw that his eyes were widened in surprise, though that was quickly replaced with his usual calm look when he noticed everyone watching him. Ichimaru showed no signs of getting up. Kakashi's eyes were ice cold where he stared at his sensei.

"Kakashi-kun wins," said Kuma stiffly after a long moment. Kakashi thought he should be feeling happy, but he just felt relieved and tired. He was out of the Academy now. His father would be proud, and he could wear a mask. Those were the important things.

He was quiet for the rest of the exam, hardly noticing the awkward congratulations his classmates threw his way. Mostly, he was left alone since those who had passed were too excited at their own good fortune to bother with anyone else. In the end, everyone went back inside and sat excitedly, waiting for their names to be called. One by one, they went forward and accepted a shining new hitaeate and a blank registration ID. Their parents were already waiting outside, so Kuma allowed everyone to leave once they had their hitaeate. Kakashi was so lost in thought that he didn't notice he was last again.

"Kakashi-kun!" Kuma had come to him, placing the headband down on the desk so that the leaf symbol glinted in the late afternoon sun. They both stared down at it. Kuma didn't look at him as he spoke. "I told myself if you could pass when everything was against you, then maybe I was wrong. And, yet… I don't think I was. The ninja world is a horrible place, and the thought of you being out in it at such a young age chills me."

"I won't fall without a fight," said Kakashi, looking defiantly up at his teacher.

Kuma gave him a bitter smile. "It's the fact that that's all you're worrying about, that worries me."

Kakashi, for all his genius, had no idea what his sensei was talking about. He hated it - how people didn't make sense no matter how hard he tried to understand. He picked up the hitaeate to cover his confusion. Kuma sighed, and surprised him by taking it out of his hands.

"Let me," Kuma said, and tied it expertly around Kakashi's forehead. The metal plate was wider than his forehead, and it didn't stay very well. "You'll have to adjust it later. Good luck, Kakashi-kun."

"Thank you, Kuma-sensei," said Kakashi, wary of any other tricks.

"You better get home."

"Yeah." Kakashi grabbed his things, and slipped out the door. He avoided the crowd of proud parents and children outside. His father hadn't picked him up from the Academy since his first day there. It was Kakashi's responsibility to make it home, and on time.

He knew when he got there that the house was empty. There was no note left for him, so his father was probably out on a short mission. For longer ones, he would be left a note with an estimate of the mission's length, and some money for anything he might need.

Kakashi used a mirror and a nearby table to bend the hitatate so it fit a bit better, filled out his registration ID, then went out back to train. Despite how tired he felt mentally, the soldier pill had left him enough energy to run through several of his training exercises without feeling tired. He was careful to avoid any that put any strain on his still aching shoulder.

His father found him in the middle of a set of fifty sit-ups.

"Kakashi."

He jumped up, the sit-ups forgotten. "Father!"

Father pulled down his mask to reveal that he was smiling. "I see you graduated. People I don't even know were congratulating me in the street."

"It's not any of their business," said Kakashi. While he liked the attention sometimes, being talked about all the time was annoying. "I made a friend today," he declared.

"That was quick. Who?"

"Hamato Kai."

"Hamato… I've worked with his father before." He didn't say anything else, but that wasn't surprising. Father only talked about missions if he was trying to teach Kakashi something. "I have something for you." He held out a small, rumbled package, wrapped in brown paper.

Kakashi took it, eagerly tearing it open. Inside, three stretchy, dark blue masks were folded neatly in a pile.

"Try to keep them clean and undamaged. It was difficult to find masks in your size."

"I will!" Kakashi was already pulling off his hitaeate so he could put a mask on. Father didn't say anything, but took the mask from him and pulled it easily over Kakashi's head. Kakashi tugged it impatiently up over his nose, reveling in the strange sensation. His headband was tied back on, and he stood their anxiously under his father's gaze.

Father ran two of his fingers along the metal plate, then smiled again. "You did well today, Kakashi."

Kakashi grinned broadly under his mask. Nothing made him happier than his father's praise, and nothing ever would.

* * *

A/N: Yondaime in the next chapter. I'll try to get it up soon:) Oh, and thanks to everyone for their reviews!

Patty: Aki's way of showing respect was that she's willing to fight him again in a few years when he's bigger/older.


	6. Chapter 6

Father suggested they eat out, which surprised Kakashi. It had been well over a year since they had done so. When his father asked him what he wanted to eat, he realized it was a reward for his graduation, and didn't feel guilty about listing all his favorite foods. They were heading towards a restaurant that his father knew, when they were stopped by a chuunin messenger in the street.

"Hatake-sama, the Hokage needs you."

Father didn't even hesitate. "Of course. I'll be right there." The chuunin sped off. His father looked down at him, and dug into one of the pouches around his waist. "Here," he said, handing him some money. "Try something new, then return home." There were plenty of restaurants all around them, so Kakashi would have his pick. "We'll eat out again some other time."

Kakashi nodded his understanding, glad that the mask hid his pout. He was disappointed, but there was little he could do about it. His father was an important ninja, and he had a duty to Konoha. Complaining wouldn't change that.

His father disappeared, leaving Kakashi standing in the growing dusk. He turned to look at the restaurants around him, wondering which he should choose. At five, there were a lot of foods Kakashi hadn't tried so he wasn't all that limited by his father's order to try something new.

After a moment's thought, he pulled down the mask from over his nose and closed his eyes. He sniffed cautiously. There were many good scents, but one in particular drew him. He opened his eyes and followed his nose. A few seconds later, he found himself standing in front of a small ramen stand. He had never had ramen before, so it was as good a place as any. He climbed onto a stool that was farthest away from the stand's only other customer – a blond-haired jounin who was devouring his ramen at a frantic pace.

Kakashi studied the menu with more seriousness than he had studied his registration ID earlier that day. He finally settled for a plain kitsune ramen, knowing that he would enjoy the fried tofu if, by chance, he didn't like the ramen itself. His order duly placed, he waited patiently, ignoring the jounin at the end of the bar who was now loudly asking for thirds. When the bowl arrived, it was steaming hot and smelled deliciously salty. Kakashi took an appreciative breathe and pulled down his mask in preparation to eat.

"Wait!"

Kakashi gave the blond a look of annoyance, then blinked in surprise when he saw the man was now only a barstool away. "What?"

The blond smiled. "You're celebrating your graduation from the Academy, right?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Well, you can't do that with such a small bowl. And so plain!" The man turned to the chef behind the bar. "He'll take my usual special."

"No, I won't," said Kakashi petulantly, then gaped openly when he realized the jounin had not only stolen his small bowl of ramen, but eaten all of it in the time it had taken Kakashi to complain. He wanted to point out how rude the blond was being, but he had been trained not to insult superior officers.

The jounin picked up on his annoyance. "Don't worry. The special's on me."

"Why?"

"You don't think your becoming the youngest genin in Konoha's history is worth celebrating?"

"I've never had ramen before, so I _am_ celebrating," he pointed out. The jounin's eyes widened comically, and Kakashi tried not to smile. This man was so weird.

"Never had ramen? Just how have you survived?"

The special was placed in front of Kakashi. The bowl was twice the width of his head, and his eyes were level with its rim. He sent an accusing glance at the blond, who had the decency to look embarrassed. "Ah, maybe it is a bit big, but I promise you it's delicious."

It would have to be, since Kakashi was going to have to perform a delicate balancing act just to eat it. With a faint sigh, he placed his hands on the bar in front of him, and then boosted himself up for a moment, swinging his knees up onto the stool. This left him kneeling on the small stool with a clear view into his giant bowl of ramen. The 'special' seemed to consist of everything they had in the kitchen. There was even an entire crab!

Leaning forward so that he got a blast of heat and smell, Kakashi picked up his chopsticks and picked out a plain noodle. He had to slurp a bit to get it all into his mouth.

"What do you think?"

Kakashi swallowed the noodle. "Salty, but good." The jounin looked proud. You would think that Kakashi had just told him the blond was the greatest ninja in Konoha. "Who are you?" Kakashi asked, digging through the ramen for a piece of fried tofu.

"Ah, well, I guess you can call me Sensei." He scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly.

"What?"

"Do you know what happens after a genin graduates?"

"You're put on a team with two others and a jounin instructor," said Kakashi.

"True, but even if you get put on a team, the chances are high you'll be sent back to the Academy. Each jounin devises his or her own test to pass their team. Two out of three teams usually fail."

Kakashi wasn't stupid. "You're my jounin instructor."

"Yeah. The thing is - no one expected you to pass. There were 22 students who graduated from your class." He paused a second to let Kakashi do the math. "They didn't even have an instructor lined up for you, so I volunteered. Only then I remembered that the test I know is for testing a genin team, not an individual."

Kakashi's hand was trembling where he held his chopsticks. He knew with certainty that he didn't want to go back to the Academy. His father would be so disappointed. "What are you going to do?" he whispered.

The blond was studying him seriously. "I hadn't planned on anything until I met you tomorrow, but since you're here… Talk to me, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi chewed his mouthful of fishcake as slowly as possible, panicking. What did he mean when he said talk? How would his talking tell the man anything about Kakashi's abilities as a ninja? "What do you want me to talk about?" That should be a safe question to ask.

"I want to know the Kakashi beneath the genius."

It was a completely unhelpful statement, and Kakashi once again took refuge in his ramen to buy himself a few moments to think. There was no Kakashi beneath the genius because Kakashi had always been a genius. That wasn't what the jounin wanted to hear though.

"Do you want to go back to the Academy?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

Kakashi tried to watch the other man out of the corner of his eye as he took another bite of ramen. Despite his patient expression, he had the feeling his new sensei knew that Kakashi was using the ramen to stall. Kakashi needed to say something.

"I'm alone there," he said quickly, keeping his eyes on his ramen. This was embarrassing. "They don't see me, and I don't understand them. I had to beat Kuma-sensei for the right to wear this." He tapped the hitaeate.

"He didn't want me to graduate," Kakashi explained, when he saw the puzzled look on the blond's face. He struggled to find the words for the rest of his answer. "Father was proud of me today, and I don't want to disappoint him."

"That's a lot of different reasons. I notice you didn't mention protecting Konoha."

Kakashi put all the scorn a five-year old could muster onto his face. "I thought that was obvious." His new sensei laughed, propping his head up against his hand as he leant against the counter.

"It was, actually." His smile was infectious, and Kakashi found himself grinning back at the man.

"Did you have any friends at the Academy?"

"I made one today!" He was still proud at having accomplished his father's mission. "Hamato Kai."

"I'll find out what team he's on, so we can go on some mission's together."

Kakashi choked on a shrimp. "I passed? But you didn't test me."

Sensei waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Let me ask you then, Kakashi-kun. What is the most important thing to a ninja?"

Kakashi knew the answer from the ninja code, but he also knew instinctively that wasn't the answer his new sensei wanted. So he ate more, and thought about it, grateful that he was being given time to think.

There was a ninja's village. His mission. His teammates. His life. But which was more important? He didn't know.

"That's fine," said the blond suddenly.

Kakashi froze. He hadn't spoken out loud, had he?

"You don't need an answer right away. I'm sure you'll find it someday. Until then," he reached out and ruffled Kakashi's hair, "I'll watch over you. Okay?"

"Okay, sensei."

"Good. Now, are you going to finish your ramen?"

Kakashi pushed the huge bowl, still over half way full, towards his new sensei. There was no way he could have finished it anyway. He pulled his mask up, feeling full and a bit overwhelmed. It had been a long day, but it seemed the tests were over. He had passed.

Owari (The End)

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed. I certainly had fun writing this:) I am actually working on a sequel (the first part of which is half way written) set when Kakashi is six, which will either be a one-shot, or a long multi-chaptered fic about the chuunin exams (depends on if I can work out the plot difficulties). Look forward to it! Thanks to everyone for your reviews too! 

Kilerkki - I'm not really happy with my portrayal of Sakumo either. The two canon facts we know about his characterization (he was willing to go back to save his comrades, but he also abandoned his son at the age of seven by suicide) just don't gel well in my mind and I have a lot of trouble characterizing him. It's even worse writing him in this fic because I'm angry at him for what he's going to do to Kakashi when he's seven. I really do think Kakashi adored him though. As for my writing, I haven't written anything longer than a few pages in ages (stupid dissertation...) so it's not surprising that it's a bit choppy without a beta. It's good to know these things, so thanks:)

Review! You know you want to;)


End file.
